Method for making modeling figurines



y 1954 A s. M. SILVER 2,684,503 METHOD FOR MAKING MODELING FIGURINESFiled Nov. 16, 1949 4 A 32 2 I r 42 mmvron BY Sfon M.Silver Q p v, V

Patented July 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD FOR MAKINGMODELING FIGURINES 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to method for forming a modelling figurinefor artists, particularly posing mannikins, such as described in mycopending application, Serial No. 116,100, filed September 16, 1949, nowabandoned.

In my said copending application I have described and claimed a new typeof figurine for use by artists as a model which is capable of beingposed in completely natural poses, both as to posture and figurecontour, with great fidelity to nature, which will retain the posedposture indefinitely until deliberately and manually changed, and inwhich the posing will not affect the figurine in any manner to limit itsusefulness and suitability for further, subsequent, natural posing.

In my said copending application I have described the construction ofsuch figurine as comprising a molded body formed of an elastomericsubstance which is resiliently elastic, at the core of which, both inits main body portion and in the appendages of the main body portion,there is arranged an armature or skeletal structure of a material havingdead bend characteristics, namely, that it is capable of being flexed,but will remain in flexed position and sufiiciently resist unfiexing toovercome the tendency of the resilient body material to return to theoriginal state.

In my said copending application I have also described the armature orskeletal structure to consist of a plurality of skeletal components ormembers, formed and arranged to have portions thereof overlap at pointsin the body where greater skeletal strength or resistance to torque isrequired. These skeletal components are described as being preferablyformed of metallic wire and, preferably, of cables formed of twistedmetallic wires.

In the formation of the figurines such as described in my said copendingapplication, it has been found extremely difficult to position theskeletal components properly and accurately within the molded,elastically resilient body and its appendages, since the body was moldedfrom a thermo-setting liquid and the skeletal components had to bearranged, in space, within the mold, that is in spaced relation to theWalls of the mold at all points Within it. The methods for forming thefigurines of the character described, as heretofore practiced, werelaborious, time consuming, and not always certain to produce completelysatisfactory results.

The present invention relates to method for properly positioning theskeletal components of 2 the figurine in the mold so that they will bearranged in natural and effective position in the completed figurine tosupply the proper and adequate torque resistance where necessary, toprovide proper body and muscular contour, and to remain away from ornear the surface of the figurine and to be retained in proper placetherewithin, without working out through the surface.

It is an object of the present invention to devise methods forpositioning the skeletal components of the figurines of the characterdescribed which are certain and highly effective in operation and arepractically fool proof in eifecting the proper and accurate positioningof the skeletal components within the body of the figurine and toaccurately produce the desired results.

It is another object of the present invention to devise methods forproperly arranging and positioning the skeletal components of thecharacter described which are simple to practice and may be rapidlycarried out with a minimum consumption of efiort and time or waste ofmaterials.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide apparatus bywhich the foregoing methods may be easily and conveniently practiced;which are of simple construction; which are easy and convenient to useand do not require any skill and training in their use; which areeconomical to produce and which enable the practice of great economiesin production of the figurines to which the present invention relates.

The foregoing and other advantages and methods and apparatus of thepresent invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled inthe art from one embodiment of the apparatus shown in the accompanyingdrawings and from the description following. It is to be understood,however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only tomake the principles and practice of the invention more readilycomprehensible and without any intent of limiting the invention to thespecific details herein shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a skeletal unit mold constituting the apparatusof the present invention, shown with the skeletal elements arranged inplace therein in proper relationship to one another and to the outlineof the body of the figurine, and in readiness for molding;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1illustrating the intermediate mold with the provisions for holding theskeletal elements in position and also the provisions for 3 formingvertical spacing elements for the skeletal unit;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken across the main figurine mold,along the position of line 3;% of Fig. 1 shown with the skeletal unitformed in the mold of Fig. 1 positioned therein in properly spacedvertical and lateral relation to the sides of the mold.

Generally stated, the present invention resides in the provision of anintermediate mold of shallow depth and reduced width relative to themain figurine mold, on the bottom of which the skeletal elements may bearranged in proper position and held in such position by suitableretaining means formed in the mold, to be covered by a uniting orbinding covering, formed from the same material from which the body ofthe figurine is to be molded, to provide an integral skeletal unit. fhemold includes suitable means for forming spacing elements on theskeletal unit by which the skeletal unit may be spaced on all sides,both laterally and vertically, from the surface of the final figurinemold.

Referring more specifically to the accompanying drawings, it will beseen from Fig. 3 that the main mold for the completed figurine mayconsist of two mold sections such as the lower mold section, l I, andthe upper mold section, 12, with main mold recesses, 13 and I l,respectively, into which the body material of the figurine is poured inthe process of casting the same. It will also be seen from the samefigure that the skeletal elements of the figurine do not and cannot lieon the surface of the body of the figurine, but must be at the centerthereof, for which purpose the skeletal unit must necessarily be spacedon all sides from the walls of the main mold recesses l3 and i l.

To effect an easy and convenient solution for the solving of the problemof supporting the skeletal elements in suspension within the moldrecesses i3 and i l, I have provided an intermediate or auxiliary moldin which an intermediate skeletal unit may be formed. Such auxiliarymold comprises a plate, i5, of any suitable material, such as metal,stone or the like, within which is formed a shallow mold recess,generally designated as 16, of the general outline of the figurine orpart thereof that is to be formed, and of preferably approximatelyrectangular cross-section.

In the illustrative embodiment wherein the figurine involved is that amannikin, the mold recess, it, comprises a torso section, if, a headsection, it, a neck section, l9, upper arm sections, 2%, forearmsections, 21, hand sections, 22, thigh sections, 23, knee sections, 2s,lower leg sections, and foot sections, 25.

The mold recess iii, with its various sections may be provided with aplurality of positioning pins, as, set in its bottom at suitable andconvenient points between which and around which the skeletal elementsmay be arranged and held in place in proper relation to one another.Such skeletal elements may comprise the head element designated as 3!,extending through the upper portion of the torso, section ll, throughthe neck section as and into the head section it of the recess 55; theleg and arm skeletal elements, 32, each extending through a forearm andupper arm recess sections 2i and Zll, respectively, through the torsosection H, a thigh section 23, a knee section 26, a lower leg section25, and a foot section 28 on one side of the body; and the torsoskeletal element, 33, of U-shape, extending along the length of thetorso recess section ll into i the thigh recess sections 23 tosubstantially the knee recess sections 2&3; as described more fully inmy said copending application.

It may here be stated that the representations of the skeletal elementsshown in the drawing may be considered as diagrammatic and asrepresenting either single wire construction or multiwire cables, asalso explained in my said copending application.

Formed in the bottom of the skeletal unit mold, recess 15 are aplurality of suitably disposed, preferably conically shaped cavities,35, which may be of varying depth depending on the thickness of the bodyof the figurine at the particular point or the distance of its surfacefrom the skeleton at that point. Such cavities 35 may, for instance, beformed in the leg recess sections at or adjacent the knee sections 2d,the upper part of the torso recess section H, the upper arms recesssections 28 and at the recesses at the end of the forearm recesssections 2!, at the neck and recess section 59, at the head recesssection E8 or in any other suitable desired position.

Also formed in the mold are shallower recesses or grooves, 35, extendinglaterally in the surface of the plate is from the side walls of therecess iii, in perpendicular relation to the said side walls at thepoint of formation. Preferably such grooves 35 are formed in opposedaligned pairs as at the knee sections, and the arm section of the recess:5, as illustrated, and in any other place where it may be desired.

The bottom of the recess it may preferably be formed with grooves orcorrugations, to permit the ready flow of liquid under the skeletalelements arranged within such recess.

In operation the skeletal elements as 3i, and 33 are arranged in therecess if, in its several sections, and held in place between theretaining pins Liquid of the same kind from which the body of thefigurine is to be formed is then poured into the recess M5 tosubstantially the level of the surface of plate i5, so that such liquidcovers the skeletal elements on all sides, top and bottom, included, andwhen the liquid cures and sets, as by the application of heat, askeletal unit, generally designated as is formed, which unit is providedwith conical, vertical spacing elements, 4i, and fiat lateral spacingelements, 42.

The lateral spacing elements d2 formed to extend to a greater width thanthe width of the mold recess and the corresponding location in one ofthe main mold sections, such recess i3 in mold section ii, andaccommodat -g recess it for those lateral spacing elements e3 may beformed in the surface of such 'l mold section,

to receive the ends of such lateral spacing extensions :32.

When the skeletal unit it is it is disposed within the mold section i l,with the vertical for the few points of contact made by the spacing enents ll and d2. It will also be apparent that when the liquid is pouredor cast into the recesses I3 and I4 it will flow around the skeletalunit, on all sides, to build up the body of the figurine the additionalmaterial being the same as that from which the skeletal unit was molded,it will amalgamate with it into a homogeneous mass.

It may here be stated that where the figurine has a skeleton that liesin more than one plane, the skeletal unit may be formed in more than oneplane by having its auxiliary mold made of two or more complementaryparts in a manner that will be readily apparent or, if desired, ifconvenient the skeletal unit may be formed in several portions which maybe suitably connected to one another before or after placing in the mainmold.

This completes the description of the methods of the present inventionand the apparatus by which they may be practiced. It will be readilyapparent that both methods and apparatus are simple in nature and easyto practice and use, that they are certain and substantially fool prooffor the production of the desired and proper results and that theyenable the practice of great economies in time and labor as well asmaterial and greatly simplifies the production of figurines of thecharacter to which the present invention is directed.

It will also be apparent that numerous variations and modifications inthe methods and apparatus of the present invention may be made inaccordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth byanyone skilled in the art, without the use of any inventive ingenuity. Idesire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations andmodifications that may be made within the spirit of the presentinvention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. The method for molding a modelling figurine having a molded resilientbody and a dead bend skeletal structure which comprises the steps ofarranging a plurality of skeletal elements having dead bendcharacteristics in proper relation to one another as they appear in thebody of the figurine in an intermediate mold, molding a binding body oflesser width and. thickness than said figurine about said arrangedskeletal elements to form a skeletal unit, including spacing elements onsaid skeletal unit for spacing the same from the sides of a finalfigurine mold, arranging the skeletal unit within a final figurine moldand then casting the body of the figurine about said skeletal unitwithin the final figurine mold.

2. The method for forming a molded modelling figurine having a moldedresilient body and a dead bend skeletal structure which comprises thesteps of arranging a plurality of skeletal elements having dead bendproperties in proper relation to one another as they appear in thefigurine in an intermediate mold, molding a binding body of lesser widthand thickness than said figurine about said arranged skeletal elementsto form a skeletal unit, integrally molding with said skeletal unitspacing elements for spacing the said skeletal unit from the sides of afinal figurine mold, arranging the said skeletal unit in the finalfigurine mold and casting the body of the figurine about said skeletalunit within the said final figurine mold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,189,585 Kruse July 4, 1916 1,350,105 Maranville Aug. 17,1920 1,739,246 Majce Dec. 10, 1929 1,898,304 Kent Feb. 21, 19332,064,435 Loeflier Dec. 15, 1936 2,376,085 Radford May 15, 19452,392,804 Basolo Jan. 15, 1946 2,454,193 Martin Nov. 16, 1948

